Category Archives: Side Dishes

Homemade Bread Day – 30 Homemade Bread Making Tips

A joyful dayPosted on November 17, 2011 by Rhonda

Homemade Bread Day is Thursday, November 17th

homemade bread in a basket

Here’s a super easy bread recipe that has lots of raving reviews – Amish White Bread

Here’s 30 homemade bread making tips…

Homemade breads have been formulated by families for hundreds of years… now’s your chance to finally whip out your own recipe.

1. Use high quality ingredients for better flavor.

2. Whole wheat flour will need one-half cup less flour compared to white flour.

3. When making Italian bread, substitute salt with garlic salt. Add the Italian seasonings like rosemary and oregano before you begin to stir.

4. Double the recipe to make two loaves of bread; you can freeze the extra one.

5. Have fun and experiment with different ingredients.

6. Add condiments and other sweeteners to make special kinds of homemade bread.

7. When you use shortening, oils or real butter, the bread will have more flavor. (Margarine or whipped butter is not recommended because of added water content)

8. If you want the bread crust to be crisp and chewy, spray a little water on the dough during the baking process. If you want the bread crust to be soft, brush milk on the dough before baking it. You can also use butter to make a softer crust.

9. Put the flour lightly in a measuring cup using a spoon. Level off the capacity with a knife to rid of any access. The flour should not be packed in.

10. For superb accuracy, use a digital kitchen scale to weigh the flour.

11. Use bakeware pieces that are heavy in weight. Heavy pieces will help your bread bake evenly and the bakeware will last longer.

12. The quality of your homemade bread will improve if you use yeast that has improvers instead of the plain yeast.

13.  Kneading dough is an important part of the bread making process that should not be overlooked. Do it for at least ten minutes until the dough is springy.

14.  If there are bubbles of gas that are trapped inside of the dough, the bread will be light and fluffy. These bubbles come when the bread is rising. When the dough rises for the first time, allow it to double up. Only punch it down afterwards. It will double again after it has been shaped.

15.  When you bake the bread, use a pan of hot water and place it on the bottom rack. This will help the crust to take shape. You will know it is ready if the crust is hollow when you tap it.

16.  For easiest slicing, allow bread to cool for a few hours first. (Your crust will tear if you try to slice it while it’s hot.)

17.  Water is an important factor when you are making your bread. The temperature should be 98 degrees Fahrenheit. It cannot be too hot or too cold. It’s better if you use a thermometer so you will get it at the right point.

18.  When the dough has doubled in size, it is ready to cook. You will know this by pressing your finger on the dough to make a dent. If the dent does not disappear, then it’s ready to cook.

19. Dried yeast is better and easier to use when you are making bread.

20. The fresher the ingredients are, the better the bread will turn out.

21. The ingredients should be at room temperature when you use them in order to get the best results for your homemade bread.

22. If you are using more than one baking pan, keep them several inches apart from each other on the oven rack.

23. You can keep leftover dough to freeze and shape at a later time.

24. You can keep leftover dough in the freezer for about a month. When you are thawing it, put it in the refrigerator and let it sit overnight. Take it out the next day and unwrap part of it. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature.

25. For best results, place the dough that you are freezing in aluminum foil or a plastic bag.

26. Since there are no preservatives in homemade bread, the loaves should be frozen within three days and used within the next few months.

27. Bread can be reheated in an conventional oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. A whole loaf can be wrapped in aluminum foil. Or it can be unwrapped while the oven is preheating for no more than 20 minutes. Slice bread and rolls should be wrapped prior to reheating.

28. The microwave can also be used to reheat breads. It only takes about 15 – 20 seconds to reheat bread, whether wrapped or not. If it stays in past that time, your bread will be chewy and hard. Then you will not be able to eat it.

29. You can use dried herbs to give the bread a flavor. However, you should only use about a third of what you would use if they were fresh herbs.

30. Plan a bread making day at the beginning of the week to have plenty of bread to use at hand during the week.  This saves money and is a healtier option.  And don’t forget, homemade bread makes a perfect gift!

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Simple Recipes to Plan a Romantic Dinner for Two

A joyful dayPosted on February 5, 2010 by Rhonda

Romantic Dinner for Two

You don’t have to wait until Feb. 14th to enjoy a simple romantic dinner with your hubby.  If you need some one-on-one time with your hubby,  you can plan a special dinner date night at home.

Set up a separate table somewhere for your kids…with pizza or their favorite fingerfoods…or double the recipes below (or plan to take them to a babysitter).  Next, whisper sweet nothings (and place a secret love note or coupon underneath his plate in advance).  Okay, so you probably have better plans for the romantic part…but here’s a few simple recipes that you might be able to use:

Simple Pasta for Two
* 1/2 pound linguini
* 6 Roma Tomatoes – Cut into large dice
* 6 cloves garlic
* 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil
* 1/3 cup fresh basil
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Few turns of fresh ground pepper
Heat oil in a medium-high skillet, add pepper flakes, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute (don’t brown the garlic). Add the tomatoes and cook till tomatoes start to wilt. Add Basil and cook for 1 more minute. Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss.  Serve along with chicken breast or favorite meat and a lettuce salad for a complete meal.
*You can substitute with cherry tomatoes that have been roasted for an hour or 2 in a 250 F oven (like sun dried tomatoes).

Sweetheart Apple Crisp for Two
* 2 cups sliced apples
* 1 teaspoon honey
* cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
TOPPING:
* 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
* 2 teaspoons honey
* 1 teaspoon real vanilla
In a baking dish, add apples, and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Next, drizzle the 1 tsp of honey over the top of the apples and spices. Next, mix the ingredients for the topping all together and spread over the apples, spices and honey. Place in 300* oven and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Great with French vanilla ice cream or topped with whipped cream.

Late evening treat…

Love Potion
* 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, slightly thawed
* 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, slightly thawed
* 1 cup white grape juice (or apple juice)
* Maraschino cherries, for garnish
Place the first 3 ingredients in a blender and mix on High until you have a uniform color. To make the potion thicker, add more fruit; to make it thinner, add more juice. Garnish with cherries.

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Some more optional recipes…

Chicken Lasagna
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 no need to cook lasagna noodles
1 cube chicken bouillon
1/4 cup hot water
1 (8 ounce) package low-fat cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring chicken just covered with water to a boil. Allow to boil for 15 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Drain chicken and shred. Dissolve bouillon in the hot water. Once dissolved mix bouillon with shredded chicken, cream cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese being sure to mix together well. In large baking dish spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce across the bottom. Layers chicken mixture over sauce and place 3 noodles over chicken. Repeat layers ending with sauce on top. Put the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until lasagna noodles are tender.

Triple Strawberry Cake
* 1 (18.25 ounce) package strawberry cake mix
* 1 (3 ounce) package flavored gelatin
* 4 cups water
* 2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
* 2 cups strawberries, sliced
Prepare cake according to package directions. Bake as directed for a 9×13 inch pan. Allow to cool.
Prepare the strawberry gelatin according to package instructions, using the 4 cups of water. Pour over cooled cake while still in liquid form; the cake will absorb it. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours, or until gelatin is set.
Spread whipped topping over cake and top with sliced strawberries.

Pink Cloud Heart Cake
* 3 packages (3 oz. size) Jello
* 2 cups boiling water
* 2 packages (10 oz. size) frozen strawberries, partially thawed
* 1 angel food bar cake, broken into bite-size pieces
Dissolve Jello in water; add strawberries. Beat for 4 minutes. Add cake to Jello mixture pour into heart mold. Chill until set.  Serve with whipped topping if desired.

Pink Frozen Fruit Salad
* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 1 quart strawberry ice cream, softened
* 1/2 cup miracle whip
* 2 cans (17 oz size) fruit cocktail, drained
* 1/3 cup chopped nuts
Combine cream cheese, ice cream and salad dressing, mixing until well blended. Fold in fruit and nuts. Pour into 9-inch square (or heart) pan.  Freeze until firm. Chill until serving.

Cherry Love Pudding
* 1 Box of vanilla wafers
* 2 boxes of vanilla instant pudding
* Milk
* Cherry pie filling
Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of a cupcake liner.
Make the pudding according to directions. Pour pudding over vanilla wafer to cover. Chill until set. Just before serving spoon a tablespoon of cherries over the pudding.  A dollop of whipped topping can be on top if desired.

Valentine Pie
* 1 cup Water
* 3 ounces Strawberry Gelatin Powder
* 1 pint Vanilla Ice Cream
* 1 Chocolate Crumb Pie Crust
* Hershey’s® Kisses
In a 4-cup glass measuring cup stir together water and gelatin. Cook, uncovered, on 100% power (high) for 1 1/2 to2 minutes.  Add vanilla ice cream to the hot gelatin mixture, stirring till ice cream is melted. Chill mixture for 35 to 30 minutes, stirring twice during chilling (the mixture should mound when you drop it from a spoon. Pour chilled ice cream mixture into pie shell. Chill about 4 hours or till ice cream is set. Arrange milk chocolate kisses in a heart shape on top of pie.

Fresh Strawberries with Chocolate Cream
* 2 cs. vanilla lowfat yogurt
* 1/2 cup light hot fudge topping
* 4 cs. strawberries, hulled and halved
Combine yogurt and fudge topping in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Serve strawberries in individual serving bowls topped with chocolate cream.

Of course, you’ll need a flirty apron for the occasion. *wink*
Check out the aprons from my selected affiliate sponsor:

Flirty Aprons

Posted in Desserts, Meat, Miscellaneous, Quick Fixes, Recipes, Side Dishes | Tagged | 4 Comments

Rhonda’s Garlic Corn

A joyful dayPosted on February 2, 2010 by Rhonda

Rhonda’s Garlic Corn

This is a super simple recipe that I threw together one day…and my family loved it so much that it is now the only way I make corn.  I do substitute olive oil in place of the butter many times.  If you want to use olive oil instead of butter, wait until you have turned off the heat and then add a little oil and mix.   Extra virgin olive oil is recommended.

16 oz. of frozen corn  (1/2 bag of 32 oz. frozen bag of corn)

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried parsley

2  TB of butter

Sprinkle lightly with a little salt

Cook on low heat & Stir occasionally until hot.

Don’t over cook.  Your veggies will taste better and you’ll preserve more nutrients the less you cook them.

*Double recipe if needed.


Posted in Cooking, Recipes, Side Dishes, Veggies | Tagged | 8 Comments